[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Should I go for the Superb DSG (32L OTR), Jetta DSG (25.7L OTR) or Octavia (26.3 OTR)? Difference equates to 10k a month extra EMI for the Superb. Will keep vehicle for minimum 5 years so not unduly worried about resale and/or mileage. Before anyone says it, size does not matter in my case - I love large cars!

I'd pick the Jetta DSG if I were you. It doesn't have a few features compared to the Octavia but its the better car IMO, just can't digest the lack of a multi-link suspension when paying upwards of 25L.

If it were a petrol, i'd recommend the 1.8 Octavia without blinking an eye.

Also, where did you get the expected pricing on the New Superb from ? I think they'll hike the price by 4-5 lakhs, doubt if they'll go into the 40 lakhs territory. If you have to buy a Superb, try and bargain for more discounts since its going to be discontinued soon, may be even wait till the New Superb is just round the corner to get even better discounts. The diesel uses the DQ-250 wet type DSG,the petrol DQ-200.

[pratika]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Gentlemen (and ladies!),
Bumping up an old thread but I am considering upgrading my Cruze manual with an automatic + diesel combo. Usage is around 17k km/year.

Should I go for the Superb DSG (32L OTR), Jetta DSG (25.7L OTR) or Octavia (26.3 OTR)? Difference equates to 10k a month extra EMI for the Superb. Will keep vehicle for minimum 5 years so not unduly worried about resale and/or mileage. Before anyone says it, size does not matter in my case - I love large cars!

Heart says Superb but mind says either Octavia or Jetta. What do you think?

Why not start by TD'ing the cars? Although you are ok with size of the car, TD'ing in traffic might help gauge better which car makes you feel most comfortable. The reason I say this is because I find driving Superb in the city a pain many times. And since I got a Polo GT, I prefer the latter most times in the city!

I am happy with my purchase of Superb in terms of performance. Its been about 1.5 yrs and I am at 26k kms right now with little bit of after sales support required - replaced windshield and windshield water storage compartment. I've never felt nervous about this car's performance at high speeds - good suspension setup, brake bite is very good, electronics to watch my back if I do something stupid.

But I think 32l OTR for a Superb Diesel is expensive. Petrol AT might be at least 4-5 lakhs cheaper. If I had to choose between Petrol/Diesel AT, I'd pick Superb Petrol AT with 4 yr warranty. Assuming I keep the car for 5 yrs that gives me 1 yr of exposure to DSG failures. I'd take that chance. Btw my Superb is a MT because I was wary of DSG failures, though my Polo GT has the same DSG.

Between Jetta and Octvaia diesel I think Jetta has better rear suspension. There are many posts detailing the difference in this forum.

If your major driving is on highway, then each car is as good as the other.

Considering all diesel variants my choice of cars in descending order based on performance, comfort, and cost:

For highway,
Superb
Jetta
Octavia

For city,
Jetta
Octavia
Superb

Good luck shopping!

[amansanc]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Thanks, amansanc!

You’re very right on the current Superb immediately ageing when the new one launches by end-2015. One point is that the new one will very probably be priced a minimum of 10 lakhs more than this outgoing model. That translates into a OTR (BLR) of around 38L which places it well beyond even my theoretical 2016 budget 

One of my used car contacts (reasonable genuine fellow) casually mentioned that the diesel Superb will tend to hold its value because the new Passat and Superb will be a D3 segment vehicle. His rationale is that this will leave the used car market receptive to a used Superb 5 years down the line. There will effectively be NO other used car competitors in this size actually. The Accord is now rapidly ageing, the Camry is a petrol and the Sonata and the old Passat was a miserable failure even when new. What else is left as a D2 sedan?

Does this rationale make sense? Anyways, I am not very focused on resale even before I buy a vehicle; wouldn’t have bought a Chevy if so

If extending the budget further is the reason for not going for the Superb, you need to think of one main factor. Would you not feel bad when you see the new Superb parked next to your Superb at a traffic signal? If not, you should surely go ahead and buy the current one with some discounts thrown in. If yes, you have a dilemma.

What you can do is that buy the Jetta for now and save hoards of cash which you can either use to spruce the car up (lots of customization options available) or change the car after 3 years instead of 5 by adding up the current savings to the future car budget

With regards to the resale rationale, well it does make sense but the problem is that the higher you go the higher you fall. Currently, 2011 Passat's sell for almost the same money as a 2011/12 Jetta just because the former isn't sold anymore in the country. You need to factor that in as well. Yes, there won't really be a strong diesel D2 segment option in pre-owned car market few years down the line. But, the Camry would still sell for more than a Superb due to one reason - Toyota!

[itwasntme]

Thanks guys.

What would be the real life mileage of the DSG 1.8TSIs in traffic for either the Superb or the Octavia? I am getting a wide band of answers starting from 7 km/lt to 12km/lt from the sales guys.

Of course the Superb will give at least 1 - 2 km/lt less than the Octavia due to the older engine and heavier weight.

[vb-san]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Heart says Superb but mind says either Octavia or Jetta. What do you think?

Out of the 3 I would suggest the Jetta. Infact, for price of the diesel Superb (which is at its last leg), you can probably think of the Santa FE AWD.

As an alternate option why not a used 3-series if you can get a sparingly used number?

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

One of my used car contacts (reasonable genuine fellow) casually mentioned that the diesel Superb will tend to hold its value because the new Passat and Superb will be a D3 segment vehicle. His rationale is that this will leave the used car market receptive to a used Superb 5 years down the line. There will effectively be NO other used car competitors in this size actually. The Accord is now rapidly ageing, the Camry is a petrol and the Sonata and the old Passat was a miserable failure even when new. What else is left as a D2 sedan?

Does this rationale make sense? Anyways, I am not very focused on resale even before I buy a vehicle; wouldn’t have bought a Chevy if so

Honestly, don't think about great resale for the Superb a few years down the line. It makes sense as the only D Segment sedan, but even today when it is the only D Segment sedan, a 5 year old example can be had for less than 10L. Once its discontinued, expect resale to fall even more.
Fears of buying a pre-owned Skoda with its high maintenance will not help matters, especially given one can pick up a Camry Hybrid or 3 series for a little here and there.

Secondly, between the two segments - the Jetta/Octy is what I would (and have) pick if it is meant to be a self driven car. While large cars are more convenient, especially when ferrying unexpected passengers - the everyday manoeuvring and parking would be a pain! I haven't heard good reviews of Bangalore traffic, and if it is anything like Mumbai - small is the way to go. Also, 2-3 years down the line, the Superb would feel a lot more dated than the Jetta and Octy - especially with the new Superb in the market. In fact, its already beginning to feel long in the tooth.

Between the Jetta and the Octavia, the Jetta gets my vote. I personally think it looks better than the Octy, is better value, less prone to rattles (because you will not face the notchback rattles), and has a better suspension set-up.

Interesting proposition: Pick up a pre-owned Superb now, enjoy it, and in a couple of years - replace it with the new one (after its Indian trials are over).

[ggkumar]

Given that the Octavia looks better, and is less expensive than the Superb for (almost) the same mechanicals, one should go for the Octavia. All said, even when the Superb belongs to a higher segment and might boast of certain feature upgrades over the Octavia, it cannot be denied that the Superb is not a driver's car, whereas the Octavia is, further boosted by its dashing looks, lower weight and being of the latest platform. And, what about higher insurance and spare part costs that might have been overlooked when it comes to comparing initial costs?

Well, all of the above is true, or you could completely discount it saying that I'm biased because I own an Octavia myself. And, you wouldn't be wrong. ;-)

[itwasntme]

Thanks everyone for the valuable advice! In a complete quandary now - will figure out what to do over the weekend.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

Also, where did you get the expected pricing on the New Superb from ? I think they'll hike the price by 4-5 lakhs, doubt if they'll go into the 40 lakhs territory.

Expected pricing based on GTO's post: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post3750426

Today, the Superb diesel DSG is at ~26.75 ex-s translating to ~32.3 Bangalore OTR after 1 lakh discount. With the kind of bleeding edge features being promised, I really don't expect a similarly equipped (Elegance) new Superb's ex-s to be anywhere less than 32L. This will easily take it to the OTR 38/39 level.

[volvo_harish]

Why not consider a slightly used Volvo S60? Its a brillant package overall. Saw one in olx for 32 lacs and driven for 9000kms only.

[itwasntme]

Ok, still analysing away.

Can anyone comment whether the current Superb's stocks will completely run out long before the new one gets launched? Net net, can I expect higher discounts a few months down the line? Salespeople are giving totally opposing answers!

[iliketurtles]

Count my vote for the Jetta as well, in case you want more features and a fresher car (in which case you should go for the Octavia) or if you want more space (in which case the Superb is your car).

As for real world mileage, the 1.8 TSI will give you 7-9 kmpl in traffic. It's the last car you should buy if mileage is on your mind.

[itwasntme]

Nopes, not going near the TSI after Adi's recent Mechatronics failure. TSI DSG only whether it is the Jetta, Superb or Octavia.

Been offered 40k, 100k and zilch as discount respectively.

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Nopes, not going near the TSI after Adi's recent Mechatronics failure. TSI DSG only whether it is the Jetta, Superb or Octavia.

Been offered 40k, 100k and zilch as discount respectively.

I wouldn't worry so much about Adi's car's mechatronic failure. It doesn't seem to be a common phenomenon these days. Lots of cars are running the DQ200 post the switch to mineral oil and failure rate has come down drastically. Earlier only the Superb petrol had this gearbox and the rate of failure was very high. Compare that to the number of Polo GTs + Octavia TSIs + Superb TSIs running today. The failure rate is extremely low.

If your running is low, you will be paying a huge premium upfront just for the fear factor of the DQ200. You do have the option of extended warranty, so you are safe for four years. If you do suffer a failure post four years, even then there is a good chance you will get is replaced under goodwill warranty. Even in the worst case scenario it will cost you less than the premium that you will be paying upfront for the diesel. All this argument holds good if your running is low. If you expect to cross 15k kms a year then diesel is a no brainer. The refinement of these TSI motors is really something to cherish, so go for diesel only if running costs of petrol is a factor.

Coming to your dilemma of waiting for the new Superb or going for old one with discounts, I would suggest you the latter option. The current generation has been around for long enough for the maker to sort all reported issues whereas the all new model will be tasting Indian conditions for the first time. Given your fears over reliability I would advise you to go for the current model. The new model has the potential to give you some nasty surprises. Expect more discounts as we get closer to the launch of the new model.

If you have the budget, the Superb is a much better deal compared to the Octavia if you are looking at it as a family sedan. The space it has really makes a difference. The Octavia is marginally better than the Laura that I have and the back seat is not all that comfy. In the Octy the rear legroom has imporved but it can't hold a candle to the comfort that the Superb has on offer. If you are looking for a sporty drive, of course the Octy TSI it has to be!!

[itwasntme]

Thanks santoshbhat! Continuing to be confused. Added fact is that the stocks of the current Superb are rapidly getting diminished and colour/fuel choices are already difficult to procure. Remaining are largely the silver colour (slow seller) and a few Zeal Editions. Reason why Zeal is pretty slow-moving is that they are not Nappa (leather leather) but Alcantara (suede type artificial leather). Plus the Zeal's black interiors are too black with the full door pads also being jet black - Too much and makes it look funereal.

Again looking at the TSIs in both Superb and Octavia.